Why We Need A Climate Security Course-Correction for Stability in The Sahel
This article originally appeared on Climate Diplomacy.
Not only is the Sahel highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, but it is also one of the regions where climate change is most likely to undermine security and trigger violent conflict. Now more than ever, climate security risks must be effectively integrated into stabilisation and peace operations in order to achieve stability in the region.
On 9 March 2021, Heads of State of the African Union (AU), lead by Kenyan President, Uhuru Kenyatta, met to discuss how climate change is a critical part of securing peace across the continent under the landmark “Silencing the Guns” initiative. In the same week, on 12 March, the Informal Expert Group of Members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) met to explore the role of the Security Council in addressing climate-related security risks in the Sahel, specifically examining how the UN and the AU could better cooperate on the matter.